Rangers boss Walter Smith paid his own personal tribute to Sir David Murray and praised him for changing the face of Scottish football over the past two decades.

The long-serving chairman will celebrate 20 years as owner of Rangers this weekend and Smith hopes to mark it in style with three home points against Aberdeen.

Smith knows he owes Murray everything for giving him the chance to succeed Graeme Souness and then for giving him the opportunity to return to Ibrox for a second stint last year - even if there was ‘a nice sacking’ in between.

Smith said: "I owe him a lot as I've said on a number of occasions.

“It would have been easy for him to go with an experienced manager and I think it took a bit of courage for him to appoint myself.

"That type of decision has been typical of how he has handled Rangers over the past 20 years.

He wants to win at whatever he does

Walter Smith

"When you are the owner and the chairman of a club there is no hiding place.

"You are always under so much scrutiny in Scotland and it takes a certain individual to handle it.

"I don't think anyone could have handled it better over the years than he has.

"There's been a lot of good people running the football side of things,but his leadership has been the main reason Rangers have had success.”

Murray’s million helped the Light Blues march towards nine-in-a-row and only last season saw them go all the way to the UEFA Cup final.

Some critics believe that Murray no longer has the hunger or desire that he once had been Smith claims that is absolute rubbish.

He believes his friend and chairman is as determined as anyone to finally end Celtic’s domestic dominance.

"He wants to win at whatever he does," Smith insisted.

“He has a great deal of personal determination and wants to always be successful.

"More than anything else it hasn't been an easy 20 years. There has been a huge transition in football especially in the financial aspects of it.

"It hasn't been easy for any club owners outside of the big countries so I think he has to be be commended for the way he has handled that change."

Murray has never been one to dodge a challenge or make big decisions.

That includes sacking manager but whenever they leave or move on they never have a bad word to say about Murray or the club.

That has been the case with Smith, Dick Advocaat, Alex McLeish and Paul Le Guen.

"If you don't have a good relationship with the chairman or the owner it won't work, the Rangers boss admitted.

"He always tries to have a good relationship with his managers and ifyou are going to leave he always sacks you nicely.”

Smith knows the pressure on him to deliver the SPL trophy this season after last season’s late collapse let Celtic make it four in a row.

The Hoops has also pulled away in recent week and Smith knows they can’t afford to let the gap go beyond four points.

Rangers got back to winning ways against St Mirren last week and they know they will have it tough against when Aberdeen come calling.

"Their away form has been better than their home form and that makes them a danger for us, Smith warned.

"They are always a club who raise their game when they play Rangers and it will be a difficult one for us.

"It is always awkward when you come off an international midweek, but we have had a decent run of home form and hopefully we can continue with that."

Smith has defensive problems ahead of the Aberdeen visit.

Madjid Bougherra looks set to miss out again, while there are doubts over Steve Davis and Sasa Papac.

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